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PM in Telangana, KCR, Devegowda meet; discuss topics of 'national importance'
HD Devegowda tweeted that the two leaders discussed issued of “national importance”.
Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao met former prime minister and JDS leader HD Devegowda in Bengaluru on Thursday amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the southern state. The Telangana chief minister was photographed meeting Devegowda hours after he left for the Karnataka capital. He had reportedly left for Bengaluru just an hour before PM Modi reached Hyderabad.
This is the second time since February that the Telangana chief minister, popularly known as KCR, missed welcoming PM Modi to the state. He was 'unwell' in February when the prime minister came to Telangana for the 'Statue of Equality' inauguration.
During the meeting with KCR, Gowda's son and former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy were among those present at Gowda’s Padmanabhanagar residence. “Hon'ble CM of Telangana Shri K. Chandrashekhar Rao visited me at my residence, today. We exchanged views on various topics of national importance. It was a candid and cordial meeting (sic)," tweeted former PM and JDS leader Devegowda after the meeting. He also shared pictures from the meeting.
Just last week KCR had visited Delhi and met Arvind Kejriwal and Akhilesh Yadav. He then went to Punjab and issued a warning to the centre. "If farmers want, they can change governments. It is not a big thing. From where the power comes, it comes from us. Agitation should continue till farmers get the right price and there is a constitutional guarantee for it," he said.
In April, the Telangana chief minister had led a huge protest in Delhi, demanding the imposition of a 'one nation-one foodgrain procurement policy'. "I warn PM Modi that you can't mess with farmers. Indian history is a testament that wherever farmers cried, the government loses power. Nobody is permanent... When in power, don't treat farmers unfairly," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
As KCR meets the opposition leaders and targets the BJP, PM Modi on Thursday attacked the TRS government over dynastic politics or 'pariwarwaad'.
“Pariwarwaadi' party is not just a political problem but the biggest enemy of democracy and the youth of our country. Our country has seen how corruption becomes the face of those political parties dedicated to one family,” the prime minister said.
In a veiled jibe at KCR, he also said: “Telangana has to get rid of the people who encourage superstition.”
(With inputs from ANI)
